Extra space mechanism for printing devices



5., s. LARSON ET AL 2,936,058

EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Filed Feb. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

EDWARD s. LARSON BY ROLF A. THIENEMANN Q An ORNEY.

y 1960 E. s. LARSON ETAL 2,936,058

EXTRA sPAc'E MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Filed Feb. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD S. LARSON ROLF A. THIENEMANN ATTORNEY L y 1960 E. s. LARSON ETAL 2,936,058

EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Filed Feb. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 20

INVENTORS EDWARD S. LARSON ROLF A. TH/ENEMAN/V BY W/FW/ 2 .5. W I ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 E. s. LARSON ETAL EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES e Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 5, 1940 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. EDWARD S. LARSON ROLF A. THIENEMANN ATTOZZEYi y 1960 E. s. LARSON ET AL 2,936,058

EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Filed Feb. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.

INVENTOR. E DWARD S. LARSON BY ROLF A.THIENEMANN ATTO NEY.

May 10, 1960 E. s. LARSON ET AL 2,936,058

EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Filed Feb. 5, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG 5 v INVENTOR. EDWARD S. LARSON ROLF A.THIENEMANN ATTO EY.

United States Patent EXTRA SPACE MECHANISM FOR PRINTING DEVICES Pllication February 5,1940, Serial No. 317,457 8 Claims. (Cl. 197-34) This invention relates to devices for printing charac ters in lines and, more particularly, to means for automatically inserting an extra space after each group of a predetermined number of such characters and has for its principal object the provision of mechanism for ac-- c'urately effecting such additional spacing.

Further objects of this invention will appear from a perusal of the following descriptionwhen read in con nection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a printing device embodying our present invention; 1 i

Fig. 2 is an elevational detail view of the elements wherewith this invention is particularly concerned;

Fig. 2(a) is an'enlarged sectional view of the latching means with the added space magnet deenergizedy' Fig. 2(b) is an enlarged sectional view of the latching means with the added space magnet energized;

Fig. 2(c) is an enlarged sectional view of the latching means with the added space magnet energized and just as the latch is released;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of certain parts involved in the operation of the printing units;

' Fig. 4"is a schematic diagram that is complementary to- Fig. 3 and depicts the elements of the printing unit controlled by the parts shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view looking upwardly toward the assembled mechanism involving the present invention.

The functional unit forming the'subject of the present invention is intended for use in the printing unit of the coding and decoding mechanism described and claimed in the application of Larson, Levin and Thienemann, Serial No. 317,454, filed February 5, 1940.

The printing unit illustrated in Fig. 1 is in general armature 19 out to its unattracted position.

similar to that disclosed in Bulletin No. 109 of the Tele-j type Corporation dated April 1926, except that the type bars themselves are selected for operation instead of the code bars being selected. This device includes a carriage bearing the usual platen, paper guide, etc., and

' having a toothed rack 6 meshed with a pinion 7 whereby the movement of the carriage during printing is effected. The usual draw strap actuated by a clock-spring (not shown) is provided to return the carriage to begin a new line. During the printing of a line of characters the pinion 7 is driven by a ratchet wheel 8 engaged with a spacing pawl 9 and with a check pawl 10 to prevent reverse movement of ratchet 8 while pawl 9 is disengaged therefrom. The means for releasing pawls 9 and '10 to permit return of the carriage for beginning another line is fully described in the above mentioned bulletin and the action of a contractile spring 13 tending to move the member 11 downwardly. Fixed to the member 11 is a stud 14 disposed to contact an arm 15 of lever 16 having adatchingarm 17 engageable with a latching projection 2,936,058 Patented May 10, 1960 ture 19-01 added space electromagnet 20, a spring 21 being provided to move armature 19 away from magnet 20 when the magnet is not energized and also to rock lever 16 to cause arm 17 to engage latching projection 18.

A bell crank lever 22 is mounted on the same pivot with lever 16 and has a latching arm 22' engageable with latching projection 23 on armature 19 when magnet 20 is energized, the spring 24 connected to arm 25 of lever 21 being provided to rotate the arm 22 into latching engagement with projection 23.

It is apparent that when arm 17 is engaged with projection 18 the lever 16' is held against rotation and consequently the arm 15' serves to stop the downward move ment of stud 14 and hence of spacing pawl 9. This distance is such that the spacing pawl 9 is moved down wardly by spring 13 just sufiiciently to engage the next succeeding tooth on ratchet wheel 8. Adjustable stud 26 in rockable arm 27 is moved upwardly against plunger 11 fixed in member 11 and causes the pawl 9 to slide upwardly a sufiicient distance to rotate ratchet 8 through the angular distance of one tooth space which in turn rotates pinion 7 and so moves rack 6 one tooth, that is' 29 the link 32 connected to bell crank lever 31 closes contacts 33 in the energizing circuit of magnet 20. When the magnet 20 is energized, the armature 19 is attracted, freeing arm 17 from projection 18 which allows spring 13 to draw slide 11 downwardly and move the spacer pawl 9 the space of two teeth on ratchet 8 instead of one. When armature 19 is attracted, the armature is held in its attracted position by arm 22 locking with projection 23 until the sliding member 11 has fully moved down. Near the end of the downward stroke of member 11, the stud 14, carried on sliding member 11, contacts and rotates arm '15 (and therefore lever 16) counterclock- Wise so that adjustable stud 34 carried by bell crank latching lever 16 contacts arm 25 and disengages arm 22' from projection 23, thus permitting spring 21 to move As pawl 9 is moved upwardly to double space the carriage, the roller 39, carried on bell crank lever 31, rides down off the peak of projection 29 opening contacts 33 to open the circuit to magnet 20,'and spring 21 turns lever 16 so that arm 17 is again latched with projection 18 and pawl 9 can move only one ratchettooth space until magnet 20 9 occurring during the printing of a character. All of the driving means is clearly shown in the aforesaid Bulletin 109 of the Teletype Corporation.

The closure of contacts 33 does not alone effect energization of magnet 20, but this energization is coordinated with and dependent upon the operation of certain other elements as will now be set forth.

Refering now to Fig. 3, there are schematically depicted parts of the coding device by which the printing unit shown in Fig. 1 is controlled. Character keys 37 are operable in the usual manner of typewriter keys and each is disposed to close a pair of contacts 38 connected in variable random circuits set up in drums 39 in a mam 3 her well known in this art and set forth in the aforesaid application of Larson, Levin and Thienemann. The current is passed through these random circuits from left tonight for coding and from. right to left for decoding; the direction of. passage being selectively determined by; switch 40. Each contact 38 .isin series withcontacts 41 that are normally open but are closable by acam 47.v on cam sleeve 43 that is operated through a clutch 44, all as. fully shown-and described in the patent to A. Reiber, 2,019,505, issued November 5, 1-935. Depressing a key 37 rocks a universal bail 45 that releases clutch 44 for driving engagement with sleeve 43. Underlying the arms of bail 45 is a locking blade-46 having cut out portions 47' normally disposed under the arms of 45, the locking blade 46 being .slidable by lever 60 operated by magnets 61 to move the cut out portions 47 out of position and so lock the bail 45 against movement'that would relea e clutch 44 under certain conditions not concer ing thfi present specific invention.

When contacts 41 are closed by cam 42 current passes through the circuits 39 and cable 48 toone of the selector magnets 49 (Fig. 4) to select a type bar for operation and since all of selector magnets 49 are connected through conductor 50 to magnet 51, this magnet is energized each time a type bar is selected. Magnet 51, when energized, attracts a latching lever 52 and permits the clutch throw out lever 53 to be moved out of engagement wi lug 54 and allow spring 55 to engage jaws 36 whereby shaft 56 is driven and fromwhich. the rocker arm .27 is actuated.

As also above stated, the projections 29- on the upper side of member 28 are positioned such that the roller 30 rides up on the peak of a projection 29 and thereby closes the added space contacts 33 after the fourth character of each group of five has been printed. The closing of contacts 33 conditions the circuit for energizing magnet 20 but does not perform this function alone. Then when the character key 37 is depressed and contacts 41 (Fig. 3) on the coding unit close to operate the printer selector magnet 49 (Fig. 4 for the fifth character, they also supply current to the space magnet 20 through contacts 33. Thus magnet 20 functions to operate the latching mechanism described above so that pawl 9 advances ratchet wheel 8 two teeth instead of the usual one. The same sequence occurs at the. printing of the ninth and tenth characters, the fourteenth and fifteenth characters, etc.

Preferably, a pair of contacts in the supply circuit tov magnet 20 are closed by switch 40 when in the enciphering position and opened when switch 40 is in the deciphering position, so that the extra space isinserted during the encipherment only of a message.

We claim:

1. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to move said carriage one character space each time a character is printed including a rack having teeth each of which corresponds to one character space, means alongside and integral with said rack having a plurality of vertically inclined projections, one of said projections corresponding inv position to the fourth of said teeth and another corresponding to each fifth tooth thereafter, means to adjustsaid carriage moving means to move said. carriage two character spaces at a time, means energizable to actuate said adjusting means, and means operated by said projections to energize said energizable means. I

2. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising meansto move said carriage one character space each time a character is printed including a rack having teeth each of which corresponds to one character space, a pinionmeshed. with the teeth of said rack, a ratchet wheel fixed to rotate with saidpinion, a reciprocable pawl engageable with-the teeth gaseous 4 of said ratchet wheel, means to move said pawl to rotate said ratchet wheel, means to limit the movement of said pawl to one ratchet tooth space, means including a swingable armature to adjust said limiting means to permit said pawl to move two ratchet tooth spaces, means energizable to actuate said swingable armature, means alongside said rack having a plurality of projections, one said projectioncorresponding; in position to the fourth of said teeth and another corresponding to each fifth tooth thereafter, and. a member actuatable by said projections to effect energization of said energizable means.

3. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed, upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to move said carriage one character space each time a character is printed including a rack having teeth each of which corresponds to one character space, a pinion meshed with the teeth of said rack, a ratchet wheel fixed to rotate with said pinion, a reciprocable pawl engageable with the teeth of said, ratchet wheel, means. to move. said pawl to rotate. said ratchet wheel, means to limit the movement of said pawl to one ratchet tooth space, and electromagneticmeans including vertical sloping elements supported on. said carriage to adjust said limiting means to permit said pawl to move two tooth spaces of said ratchet.

4. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to .support a sheet to be. printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means. to move said carriage one character space each time a character is printed including a rack having teeth each of which. corresponds to. one. character space, a pinion meshed with the teeth of said. rack, a ratchet wheel fixed to rotate with saidpinion, a reciprocable pawl engageable with said. ratchet,

a spring urging said pawl away from said ratchet, mecha-- nism to move said pawl toward said ratchet to rotate said ratchet, a first lever pivoted intermediate its ends having a stop arm disposed to limit the movement of said pawl away from said ratchet and a latching arm, an electromagnet, a swingable armature disposed to he attractable by said magnet, a first latching projection on said armature engageable by said latching arm when said armature is in unattracted position, means tending, to move said arm to latching position, a second latching projection on said, armature, a pivoted bell crank latch having a latching arm engageable with said second latching projection when said armature is attracted by said magnet and a release. arm, means carried by said stop arm to contact said release arm and release said bell crank latch from said armature when said pawl is moved against said stop arm while said armature is in the attracted position, normally open contacts in the energizof said bell crank lever to close said contacts when said roller rides over a said projection.

5. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to shift said carriage each time a character is printed. including a ratchet and a pawl. engageable therewith and retractible therefrom, means to retract said pawl, means including a swingable armature to limit retraction of said pawl to effect single space movement of said carriage, electromagnetic means energizable to. swing said. armature to permit retractingv said pawl a. snfficient distance to effect double spacing. movement of said carriage, means including an element carried by said. armature to lock said limiting means, when said armature is swung by said electromagnetic means, until said pawl has moved to its double space position, means carried by said limiting means to. unlock said locking means when said pawl has reached. said double space position, means including a series of cam: projections mounted on said carriage and a follower clement movable thereby to close the energizing circuit through said electromagnetic means after each group of a predetermined number of characters has been printed, and means to move said pawl to actuate said ratchet.

6. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to shift said carriage each time a character is printed including a ratchet and a pawl engageable therewith and retractible therefrom, means to retract said pawl, means including a swingable armature to limit retraction of said pawl to effect single space movement of said carriage, electromagnetic means energizable to swing said armature to permit retracting said pawl 'a suficient distance to effect double spacing movement of said carriage, means including a series of cam projections mounted on said carriage and a follower element movable thereby to close the energizing circuit through said electromagnetic means after each group of a predetermined number of characters has been printed, and means to move said pawl to actuate said ratchet.

7. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to shift said carriage each time a character is printed including a ratchet and a pawl engageable therewith and retractible therefrom, means to retract said pawl, a lever having an arm disposed to limit retraction of said pawl to effect single space movement of said carriage, means to lock said lever in said limiting position, means to unlock said lever for movement to a position permitting retraction of said pawl to efiect two space movement of said carriage,

922,601 Langanke May 25, 1909 927,838 Dench July 13, 1909 1,283,348 Steiger Oct. 29, I918 80 2,152,773 Reiber Apr. 4, 1939 means to retain said lever in said two space position until said pawl has moved to its two space position, means actuated by said pawl at the end of its movement to said two space position to release said lever for return to the one space position, means including a series of cam projections mounted on said carriage and a follower element movable thereby to unlock said lever after each group of a predetermined number of characters has been printed, and means to move said pawl to actuate said ratchet.

8. In a printing unit having a slidable carriage to support a sheet to be printed upon, mechanism to operate said carriage comprising means to shift said carriage each time a character is printed including a ratchet and a pawl engageable therewith and retractible therefrom, means to retract said pawl, means to limit the retraction of said pawl to effect single space movement of said carriage, means to set said limiting means to permit two space retraction of said pawl, means to lock said limiting means in said two space position, means actuatable bysaid pawl to unlock said limiting means, and means to move said pawl to actuate said ratchet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

